Jude and his faithful & loving daddy

"FREE FALLING"

"Don't do that when daddy is not around, or you will fall down." That's what I just heard my husband say to our son as he fearlessly plunged into his daddy’s open arms.  He was standing at the end of the couch, using his arms for stability since his little legs cannot support his body yet.  Jason having just got home from work made his way over to the oversized white chair next to where Jude stood.  When Jason and Jude made eye contact, I watched as they both lit up.  Jude even let out a little giggle of joy.  Then Jason opened both arms and had just enough distance between himself and Jude that our 9 month baby would have to remove his stability to fall into his father’s embrace.  I looked at Jude and said, "Go to daddy, you can trust him, he will catch you."  And Jude, never taking his eyes off of his daddy released his hands and fell forward with complete child-like trust.  

What a beautiful picture of "child-like” faith!  If only we could all decide without hesitation to plunge into our Fathers open arms.  What if we didn't hesitate or become paralyzed with fear?  Can you imagine the confidence that would come with KNOWING we would be embraced by God?  What if we could just let go of our hold on temporary stability and accept the security our Father so desires us to have.  Fear is the opposite of trust!  If we were to keep our eyes on the Lord, and not focus so much on our circumstance, I believe we would be able to fall uninhibitedly into the peace of God's perfect will for our lives.  

Today my devotional quoted this scripture "For just as the heaves are higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:9. What a beautiful reminder that we don't have to depend on our own understanding or our own grasp of what we believe is "safe."  We can completely rest in the promise that God will always think abundantly more for us, and His ways will always be far greater than our own.  

While Jude was holding on for dear life to the couch, I bet he was thinking that he was invincible.  He had a look of determination on his face, even as his unstable legs teetered.  He was looking at me square in the eye, almost as though he was proud of his accomplishment.  The reality of the matter is despite the effort, it was just a matter of time before my sweet little boy's grasp weakened and caused him to fall to the ground.  The couch could not guarantee him stability because there was no back to support his under-developed legs.  

"Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind"- Isaiah 58:8

Do we cling to our unstable circumstances?  Do we exude pride in our own strength to hold ourselves up?  I personally struggle with blind faith!  I have a need to know, and when there is uncertainty I stand with my hands tightly gripped on to my circumstances, wavering in mediocrity.  This is not God’s best for me, or you.  

When Jason found his way over to his son he just simply opened his arms, and without hesitation Jude leaned in, almost in slow motion.  He undoubtedly knew that his daddy was going to scoop him up into a firm and secure embrace.  As a mother, it was a beautiful sight.  There is nothing greater than to watch your child fall in love with you and your spouse.  The first time they call out for "Mama" or "Dah"… How it takes our breath away.  Don't you believe that Jesus loves us FAR greater than we could ever love our own children?  Do you believe that it brings him joy to hear us call out his name?  It wasn't until having a son that I was able to truly grasp God’s love for me.  I treasure the moments my baby "needs" me.  So, I can only imagine that our Heavenly Father cherishes those moments we depend on him with complete confidence that his love is enough to provide a life more abundant than we could ever fathom.  

I am reminded of this song; “Oh Lord, You’re beautiful.  Your face is all I see.  And when your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me.” 

My  son’s  faith in his father has inspired me to see only God’s face in the midst of my wavering circumstances.  To rest in the peace of his promises to me that when his eyes meet mine, I can lean into his embrace.  

I challenge you to take the plunge into your Father’s arms today.  No matter what your situation might be, release your grasp on your unstable reality and trust that if you fix your eyes on the Lord, He will support you and bring you to a place of safety.

He led me to a place of safety; He rescued me because he delights in me. Psalm 18:19

DO YOU HAVE TIME TO SEE COLOR?

Have you ever painted a picture? Well, even if you haven't you could probably imagine the process that one might go thru to create a piece of art. The long strokes vertically to cover the mass of the canvas followed by small strokes to add detail. The physical labour that would be required as your arms thrash vigorously to express the vision you have only shadows the emotion you have invested into this interpretation you call art. The emotion one would put into a piece of art would be a great personal feat as it would require you to pull from your soul the views and feelings you have locked inside. It would have you plow up any creative or innovative perceptions to flow with ease into your piece. I believe that self evaluation is often necessary in expressing ones self thru art, which would require allowing yourself to be purged of anything that would disrupt the beauty of this masterpiece in the making. It would also mean allowing light to fall on pain that could be expressed thru your vulnerability. In addition to the physical labour and the emotional investment, I could only imagine there would be a great time sacrifice as a true artist would never rest until he felt at ease with his muse. I would bet that an artist steps away from his piece only to come back and find an imperfection that requires changes and modifications to capture the original thought. Think of the time it would consume to create this piece of art that is an expression of your soul.

Do you have the time for the final outcome?

 This revelation came to me by talking to one of my best friend about hair. Yes, hair can actually bring forth deep thoughts. I was sharing with her how in my business it is common for people to have their hair colored and when the final product is revealed, walk away un-happy. It's my job to make sure that a client loves the way they look and feel when they leave my chair. So, if someone leaves feeling disappointed, but doesn't let me know they are un-happy, I am unaware therefore unable to change it. As I was expressing to my friend how frustrating it is that someone would rather leave un-happy, than spend the time allowing me to go back and add or take away whatever necessary for them to love their hair, she said "Do you think that is how God feels about us?" This thought was seriously profound and stopped me dead in my tracks. I started to think about my craft. It is an art to me! When beginning a color service, I have a vision but sometimes as the artist, I step away when I am finished and I realize that the end result does not capture the beauty that was in my original thought. It's rare that someone has the time to sit in my chair for another couple of hours for me to go back and perfect it so that it is a true expression of my vision. And so I let them know if they are at all un-happy, to please come back and let me make a few changes. Most people have little grace for this. They automatically de-validate me as a hair stylist, or an artist. They assume if I don't get it right the first time, then I must not know what I am doing. And they quickly replace me with another hair stylist. This saddens me because they miss the whole point of my craft. I am an artist. If I got it right the first time, every time... would I still be able to call myself one? If only they would come back to me and allow me to elaborate or make a changes to the "painting" they might find that their hair becomes a true masterpiece. It's such a shame that instead of honesty and opportunity to create true art, I am brushed aside for the next stylist, who in fact will eventually fail to impart perfection. Isn't it the PURSUIT for perfection that I should be trying to obtain? Do you think that Di Vinci mastered the Mona lisa on the 1st time? How about Beethoven, do you think he wrote the symphony no 9 in an hour? Absolutely not, because the heart of an artist is the ability to create, and creation is the process of seeing an original thought transform into a work of art. This takes time and willingness to go back to the drawing board to accomplish something the artist can be proud of. It's the pursuit of perfection, not solely perfection, that separates the good from the magnificent.

VINCENT VAN GOGH said "Keep going, keep going come what may. But what is your final goal, you may ask. That goal will become clearer, will emerge slowly but surely, much as the draft turns into the sketch and the sketch into the painting through the serious work done on it, through the elaboration of the original vague idea and through the consolidation of the first fleeting and passing thought."

If I could have it my way, I would take one client a day. So I could take a thought and elaborate on it until it became more than my mind could contain. Because to me, that is art. It is when you allow yourself the freedom to expand, express, create, elaborate, change, erase and start again, add or take away. It is when you allow your thought to transform and come to fruition in a way that even our own minds couldn't have foreseen. If God is the artist of life, the author and creator of the universe.... then more than any Picasso, van Gogh or Krause, wouldn't he deserve the freedom to take his time laboring on the masterpiece he calls our life? "Do you think God feels this way about us"? That's the thought that started in my head. And with time, heart, emotion and many times reaching with my right ring finger to press delete... I was able to take this thought into a true expression of what was inside me. Do we truly trust God to complete the work he has started in us?

 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6

Do we have the time to let him use our lives as a canvas to showcase that he is the artist of all time? Would we be willing to let him make our lives into an art piece that would reveal his glory? Or are we going to leave him unhappy the 1st time we don't like the results? Are we going to jump to another God or Idol that might fulfill our needs on the 1st try? When will we realize that God is the pursuer of our hearts and begin to wait on his timing to complete the work he started?

After the gift of this revelation, I for one have decided that I would be honored to give Jesus the time to complete the work in me. I will stop running every time that I don't understand, or I don't like the outcome of a situation. I will trust in his timing, and that the outcome he has planned is far greater than I could receive from another source. I will give him the room for imagination and elaboration along the way. When something goes astray, I will choose to smile with gratitude that he is making art our of my mess.

I will see color when I don't understand. I will see color when I face change. I will see color when he expands his thoughts and plans for my life. I will see color as he paints the story for my life.

 Do you have time to see Color?

"ONE MOMENT AT A TIME"...

To be inspired doesn't requires a lot for me. A thought, song or simply a beautiful scenery can prompt a series of revelations. I believe that God speaks to us thru these things, and most of the time we are so caught up in our busy lives, we miss it. As I sit here in Colorado, looking at the beautiful creation Jesus made just for us to admire, I am inspired.

What does it mean to be "relaxed"? This is something I really struggle with!!! I am always thinking 2 thoughts ahead. To be relaxed would mean being present in the moment offered to me. It would mean stoping to admire what God intended to be a form of romance for me. The beautiful weather, the mountains, the peaceful sound of the river that is passing thru the patches of frozen ice. It's taking a deep breath in and listening to what Jesus is saying to me thru the solitude. I long to be still long enough to hear his voice. "One moment at a time" that is what Jason says. In this moment I am surrounded by family, warmth, laughter, the restlessness of our sweet babies, a classic movie in the background... love. I think what I could find in this moment is the feeling of contentment. Knowing I am loved, and that I am blessed. I believe Jesus is here in this room with us and I am grateful to him for the opportunity to share this peace with the people who I love the most.

I need to blog more. I am going to make the effort, at least while i'm in the mountains. Today, I am inspired to write, to create, to think, to relax... but most of all, to listen and look for the sweet things Jesus has in store for me.